Fortunately, Dutchess was scooped up on Thursday by Florida rescue group A Way For A Stray (AWFAS), which specializes in cases that local shelters are unable to treat themselves. AWFAS president Lyndsey Gurowitz told The Dodo that Dutchess was even worse in person than she appeared in photographs.

When rescuers first got her, she was also shivering so badly that they had to wrap her up in a blanket - which they did very gingerly so as not to cause her pain. They were reluctant to even pet her, Gurowitz said, because she was in such bad shape.

"We wanted to try to protect her raw skin," she noted. "She's in so much excruciating pain."

But the saddest part is how Dutchess' rough start in life has affected her mental state. With even the worst abuse cases, Gurowitz explained, rescuers will usually get a tail wag or two. With Dutchess - nothing.

"She has no spirit," she said. "She doesn't even lift her head. It's like she's given up a little bit."

But fortunately, she's in the right hands. AWFAS rushed her to a veterinary clinic on Thursday night, where it was revealed she was severely anemic, and she was immediately admitted to intensive care. On Friday morning, Gurowitz said that Dutchess' numbers had improved and that she was stable but the hospital had gone ahead with a blood transfusion, just to be safe.

When asked whether the dog's spirit had picked up, Gurowitz replied: "No, she is shaking."

But while the terrier mix will have a long road ahead of her as she struggles to heal both physically and mentally, her rescuers are planning to make it as easy as possible. Gurowitz said she's had at least four families offer to foster Dutchess, so when she leaves the hospital she'll have a safe and loving environment waiting for her.